A nationwide sting operation has just peeled back the curtain on one of the largest sex trafficking networks in U.S. history — and the shocking revelation is that Chinese organized crime is at the center of it.

On Thursday, over 150 law enforcement agencies across 18 states launched coordinated raids targeting massage parlors, hotels, and trafficking hubs in an effort dubbed “Operation Coast to Coast.” The goal: take down a sprawling web of illicit activity worth an estimated $5 billion a year and free the estimated 75,000 women trapped inside it.

Dan Nash, a retired Missouri state trooper and founder of the Human Trafficking Training Center (HTTC), led the operation. According to Nash, these traffickers operate more massage parlors than there are McDonald’s and Starbucks combined — particularly in states like California and New York.

“These women aren’t prostitutes — they’re victims,” Nash told Blaze News. He emphasized that many of these victims are Chinese nationals who entered the U.S. through asylum loopholes and have since been moved through a modern slavery pipeline, now shifting toward the northern border as Trump’s southern crackdown tightens.

The figures are staggering. Nash estimates Chinese crime syndicates now run roughly 19,000 illegal massage parlors across the country, each housing two to four trafficking victims. That’s tens of thousands of women trapped in forced servitude, often living in squalor and fearing both their traffickers and deportation.

Unlike typical raids, Operation Coast to Coast prioritized victim identification and recovery over mass arrests. That’s because only departments trained by HTTC were allowed to participate. Most police departments, Nash says, haven’t been properly trained to recognize or help trafficking victims, often treating them as criminals.

Among the groups aiding victims was the Safe House Project, whose CEO Kristi Wells explained that 80% of trafficking survivors who don’t receive support will be revictimized. She described many of the victims as traumatized, addicted, unable to speak English, or lacking documentation — and stressed the importance of giving them a choice, the very thing their traffickers stole.

Delta Airlines even played a role, offering vouchers to relocate rescued victims to shelters or families across the country.

While this year’s operation spanned 18 states, last year’s effort involved 14 states and led to the arrest of 39 traffickers and recovery of 97 victims. With the latest sweep, the numbers are expected to be even higher.

This crisis isn’t new — but it’s growing fast. Nash warned that Chinese crime groups are the fastest-growing syndicates in America, up 32% over the past three years. Their network of illicit massage parlors isn’t just widespread — it’s organized, well-funded, and exploiting America’s broken immigration and law enforcement systems.

And yet, as Nash points out, this battle can’t be fought by law enforcement alone. “Not any one person or group can stop this,” he said. It takes community vigilance, proper training, and political will.

This is where Trump’s policies come into play. As border enforcement tightens under the new administration, traffickers are being forced into the open — and law enforcement, finally armed with the right tools, is striking back.

But the mission isn’t over. As Wells reminded Blaze News, 99% of trafficking victims in the U.S. are never identified. Until that changes, these hidden empires will continue to thrive — and it’s up to every American to help shine a light where darkness rules.